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UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. TAINTER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

REPRODUCER FOR GRAPHOPHCN ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,656, dated December12, 1893.

Application filed July '7, 1893. Serial No. 479,802. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SUMNER TAIN- TER, of Washington, in theDistrict of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement inReproducers for Graphophones, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification.

This invention has reference to the construction of the reproducer inapparatus for recording and reproducing sonorous vibrations, and moredirectly to the form of the point of stylus and its connection with thediaphragm. In the reproducing devices which have yielded the bestresults heretofore, the

point or stylus has been so mounted as to be capable of a limitedlateral movement, independent of the diaphragm, so that it can adjustitself to the groove of the tablet and keep always in contact with theundulatory surface at the bottom of the groove, constituting the soundrecord. In one of the best forms which has been widely used, the styluswas made of a flat strip of steel having the general outline of ahammer, pivoted at one end to the casing of the reproducer, and havingits other end flexibly connected with the diaphragm by means of a link.Long experience has shown that this form of instrument is susceptible ofimprovement, and that its principal defects are the following:

First. The flexible portion has not sufficient delicacy to insure thatthe point of the stylus will always impinge against the bottom of thegroove. It will at times drag against one side thereof.

Second. The presence of a link or similar loose connection between thepoint and the diaphragm permits of lost motion, in consequence of whichthe sharp and closely crowded undulations made by sounds of high pitchare but imperfectly transmitted to the diaphragm.

Third. The several joints in the stylus and its connections allow it toomuch movement independent of the diaphragm, and cause rattling orscraping noises which interfere with the clearness of reproduction.

Fourth. The construction requires great care and fine workmanship, andis liable to derangement.

The object of the present invention is to remove or overcome thedefectsabove pointed out, and it consists mainly in mounting the reproducingstylus directly upon the diaphragm itself, and pivoting or swiveling itin such manner that it can oscillate transversely of the sound groovewithout appreciable friction.

The principle of the invention maybe carried out in various ways. In itssimplest and best form the stylus is made of apiece of steel wire of thethickness of a sewing machine needle of medium size (about 0.025 of aninch in' diameter) bent near the free end and rounded to a hemisphericalpoint. This stylus is mounted in a support or socket carried by thediaphragm, in such manner as to oscillate with the utmost freedom. Thestylus when so mounted acts by direct thrust upon the tablet and itslateral movement does not depend upon the flexibility of the material ofwhich it is composed, but upon its swiveled connection with thediaphragm, the axis of oscillationbeing the line of the shank or stem ofthe stylus.

The invention and its advantages will be more fully understood from theaccompanying drawings in which Figure I represents in vertical section astylus and mounting constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig.II is a plan-view of the same. Figs. III, IV andV are detailsillustrating different modes of supporting the inner end of the stylus.Fig. VI is a vertical section of another form of mounting. Fig. VII is aside view, and Fig. VIII a top view of still another embodiment of theinvention.

All the drawings show the parts greatly enlarged beyond their naturalsize.

Referring first to Figs. I and II which show what is deemed the best andmost practical construction, a tubular socket 10 of brass or othersuitable material is attached to the center of the diaphragm 11,extending at right angles thereto. This socket may be about 0.3 of aninch in length, with an outside diameter of 0.1 of an inch and aninterior diameter of 0.075 of an inch; but. of course these dimensionsare variable. The socket or support for the stylus maybe connected withthe diaphragm in any convenient manner. 'Asshown the tubular or,cuprportion passes through a perforation in the diaphragm, the flange2O resting against the under side thereof. t

The stylus 12 is made from a straight cy- .lindrical piece of steel, oneend bf which is rounded and polished to form the rubbing contact point,13, after which a bend 14 is formed about a quarter of an inch from therubbing-point, so as to throw the latter out of line with the mainportion of the stylus. A collar 15 is secured to the stem of the styluswhich is inserted into the socket with its sharp conical pointed end 16bearing against the bottom of a hole 17 drilled in the end of thesocket. In the mouth of the latter is fitted abnshing 1S centrallyperforated, and constituting a bearing for the stylus. The collar 15prevents longitudinal motion of the stylus to such extent as woulddisplace its end from the hole 17.

Stops 21, 22 are provided to limit the rocking motion of the rubbingpoint 13 of the stylus. In the construction illustrated in the drawingsthese stops are formed by cutting a groove 23 in piece 24 projectingfrom the socket and which may be made in one piece therewith.

In use the free end of the stylus rests upon the tablet (represented bythe curved line 25, Fig. I) in advance of the shank or stem, so that thepoint 13 can freely swing in an are about the axis of the stem, andtrack or follow faithfully the groove in the record, without regard toslight irregularities in the latter, or divergencies between its pitchand that of the feed screw. At the same time the motions of thestylusare communicated directly and in their entirety to the diaphragm, theresult being that scraping noises are largely eliminated, and therecorded sounds are reproduced with much greater distinctness and withundiminished loudness.

Figs. III, IV and V show different ways of mounting the end of thestylus. In Fig. III the end is bored out and fits over a conicalpointedpin 26 secured in the socket 10. The construction shown in Fig. IV issimilar to that of Fig. III, while the construction of Fig. V presents aslight modification of that illustrated in Fig. I.

In Fig. VI the stem of the stylus 12 is taered like the shank of asewing-machine needle, and the metal socket 10 is drilled out to adiameter slightly larger than the stem. After the latter is inserted,the mouth of the socket is contracted upon the tapering stylus to holdit in place while permitting it to turn freely on its axis.

Figs.VII and VIII illustrate a construction which is within theprinciple of the invention, but is not so easily made as the form firstdescribed. The stylus 12, instead of oscillating on the axis of the stemis rigidly secured in its socket or support 10, the latter being pivotedin ears or brackets'28 attached to thediaphragm. The axis of oscillationis thus in a plane parallel with the diaphragm, or perpendicular to thestem of the stylus. The end of the latter projects through a slot 29 inthe diaphragm, the ends of the slot serving as stops to limit themovement of oscillation of the rubbing point.

The foregoing description with the drawings referred to will suffice todetermine the scope of the invention, and to show that manymodifications in its form and details may be made without departing fromthe spirit thereof.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim is 1. Areproducer having the stylus mounted upon the diaphragm the connectionbeing rigid in the direction of the thrust of the stylus, andoscillatory in a direction transverse thereto, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with the reproducer diaphragm, of a stylus carried bysaid diaphragm and having a pivotal or swiveled connection upon whichits contact point can oscillate freely transversely to the groove of therecord, substantially as described.

3. In a reproducer, a stylus havingits rubbing point bent at an anglefrom the stem, and swiveled in the line of the stem, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with the reproducerdiaphragm of a stylus pivoted in asupport or socket carried by said diaphragm soas to becapable ofoscillation upon an axis perpendicular to the latter, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination with the diaphragm, of a tubular socket or supportrigidly attached thereto, and a stylus having itsfree end bent at anangle to the stem, and being swiveled in said socket so that the pointcan oscillate about the axis of the stem, substantially as described.

' 6. The combination with the diaphragm of a stylus composed of acylindrical steel wire, rounded at its end to form a contact point, andbent to throw the point out of line with the stem, said stem beingperpendicular to and pivotally connected with the diaphragm,substantially as described.

I 7. The combination with the diaphragm, of a tubular socket attachedthereto and closed at one end, a stylus having a straight stem portioninclosed in said socket and having a bearing upon a point at the closedend of the socket, so that it can turn upon its axis with slightfriction, and a deflected portion outside of the socket upon the end ofwhich is the rubbing point, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the diaphragm of the stylus swiveled on the axisof its stem in a support carried by said diaphragm, and stops embracing,and limiting the movement of the free end of the stylus, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. TAINTER.

WVitnesses:

PERCIVAL L. WATERS, PHILIP MAURO.

